Artificial textile materials and method of preparing the same



Patented Jul." 19,1937

ARTIFICIAL TEXTILE MATERIALS AND METHOD OF PREPARING THE SAME George Schneider, Montclair, N; J., assignor to Cela'nese Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application May 4, 1934,

Serial No. 723,844

4 Claims.

This invention relates to the preparation or treatment of artificial materials particularly textile materials, such as yarns or filaments made of organic derivatives of cellulose, whereby the same are rendered'more amenable to textile operations or have other improved properties.

An object of my invention is to prepare or treat textile materials, particularly yarns or filaments containing cellulose acetate or other organic derivatives of cellulose by the employment of oils or fatty acids in conjunction with a parabenzene derivative, wherebythe yarns onifilaments are rendered more pliable and can therefore be knitted, woven or knotted more readily. Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description.

It is desirable to apply finishes which soften or lubricate the yarns in many processes of conversion of textile yarns such as twisting, winding, knitting or weaving. The finishes considered most useful for thisv purpose contain oils,

such as olive oil or castor oil. However, when such oils are applied to the yarn, upon ageing they hydrolize to develop free acid; they tend to oxidize and to polymerize and form viscous and gummy bodies.

I li-cve found that if para-benzene derivatives containing an 01-1 radicle are added to such oils, yarns'to which the resulting mixture has been applied, remain soft and not sticky when exposed to the air for long periods of time. Moreover the presence of these para-benzene derivatives greatly retard the development in such oils of free acidity, prevent oxidation and largely overcomes the tendency of such oils upon ageing to render cellulose acetate yarns less resistant to the delustering action of hot aqueous liquids. All phenol derivatives have some preservative power in oils; 1 have found, however, that outstanding in effectiveness in this respect, are the para derivatives of phenol such as hydroquinone.

In accordance-with my invention I employ the animal or vegetable oils or the fatty acids derived therefrom in conjunction with para derivatives ofphenol in the preparation or treatment of artificial materials particularly those containing cellulose acetate or other organic derivatives of cellulose.

The animal or vegetable oils employed may be any suitable one such as olive oilflteaseed oil, peanut oil, castor oil, cocoanut oil, neats-foot oil and in general the glycerides of the fatty acids such as oleic acid, palmitic acid or s'tearic acid. One of such oils or a mixture of two or more such oils may be employed. If desired the fatty acids themselves may be employed. These oils may be used alone or in conjunction with mineral lubricating oils and sulphonated oils as well as in conjunction with bodies having a beneficial effect such as diethylene glycol, glycerine. etc.

In order to prevent such oils and fatty acids from oxidizing, hydrolizing, polymerizing or otherwise becoming sticky and thus impart harshmess to the textile material, I add a para derivative of phenol. Any suitable para derivative of 10 phenol may be employed, for example hydroquinone, methyl ester of paraoxy benzoic acid, propyl ester of paraoxy benzoic acid and other like derivatives of benzol. Of these, however, I prefer to employ the hydroquinone in relation to 15 which the invention will be described in particular. The para derivatives of benzenemay have the graphic formula 25 where R is OH or COOR wherein R is an alkyl group such as methyl, ethyl, butyl and propyl radicals. 1 i

The amount of hydroquinone or other compound employed may be any suitable one being usually small and on the order of 0.2 to 4% of the weight of the oils or fatty acids employed.

In one form of my invention, the vegetable or animal oils or the fatty acids in admixture with the para derivative of benzol may be added to 35 the spinning dope or solution from which the yarns, filaments, artificial bristles or straw and the like are formed, and such solution may then be extruded through orifices to an evaporative atmosphere as in dry spinning or into the precipi- 40 tating bath as in wet spinning, or thin foils or thin films may be made from such solutionsby casting the same on to a film casting wheet or by other known methods.

In another form of my invention the mixture 45 of oils or fatty acids and the para derivative of phenol may be applied to the yarns, filaments, fabrics, films or foils after their formation. They may be applied either alone or in admixture with other materials as a lubricant or finish. '50 Thus the lubricant or finish may also contain softening agents" such as the polyhydric alcohols, their derivatives and substitution products, the examples of which are diethylene glycol and glycerine.

of such organic esters of cellulose are cellulose acetate, cellulose formate, cellulose propionate and cellulose butyrate, while examples of such cellulose ethers are ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose and benzyl cellulose.

Yarns, artificial straw or filaments when prepared or treated in accordance with this invention have great pliability due to the presence of the animal or vegetable oils or the free fatty acids, as shown by the fact that such yarns may be readily lmitted into fabric containing many stitches per unit length and artificial bristles, horsehair and straw may be knotted quite tightly and bent quite severely without breaking. Moreover when such yarns are exposed to the air for long periods of time, because of the presence of the para derivative of phenol, they retain their softness and pliability and can be readily knitted. In order to further illustrate my invention but without being limited thereto the following specific example is given.

Example A finish is prepared as follows:

- Parts by weight Olive oil; 99 Hydroquinone 1 The above mixture may also be made substituting the methyl ester of parahydroxy-benzoic acid and the propyl ester of parahydroxy benzoic acid. The above mixture is applied to a yarn consisting wholly of acetone soluble cellulose acetate filaments, by causing such yarn to pass over wicks, rollers or other furnishing devices for applying such mixture, in their transit from the dry spinning machine in which they are formed to a winding device. plied is 1 to 60% on the weight of the yarn.

The para derivatives of phenol greatly reduce the tendency of the olive oil to polymerize upon ageing and inhibits oxidation. Moreover while cellulose acetate yarns or fabrics treated with The amount of finish apolive ofl alone after a period of time tend to deluster more readily when treated with hot aqueous fluids the presence of the para derivative of phenol greatly reduces this tendency of delustering. Moreover, the above type of finish has the property of maintaining a finish, over the entire yarn or fabric, of the same consistency. Thus when the material is subjected to dyeing, washing or other hot aqueous liquid treatments there is no streakiness produced as in the case where the lubricant finish tends to change its chemical composition in one place more than in another.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description is given merely by way of illustration and that many variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is: p

1. Process of improving the properties of filaments or yarns of a cellulose derivative selected from the group of organic acid esters of cellulose and cellulose ethers which comprises applying thereto a finish containing a vegetable or animal oil such as olive oil, teaseed oil, peanut oil, castor oil, cocoanut oil or neatsfoot oil and hydroquinone in the proportion of 0.2 to 4% calculated on the weight of the oil employed.

2. Process of improving the properties 01' filaments or yarns of cellulose acetate which comprises applying thereto a finish containing olive oil and hydroquinone in the proportion of 1% calculated on the weight of olive oil.

3. Yams or filaments of a cellulose derivative selected from the group of organic acid esters of cellulose and cellulose ethers and containing a vegetable or animal oil such as olive oil, teaseed oil, peanut oil, castor oil, cocoanut oil or neat'sfoot oil and hydroquinone in the proportion of 0.2 to 4% calculated on the weight of the oil employed.

4. Yarns or filaments of cellulose acetate containing olive oil and hydroquinone in the proportion of 1% calculated on the weight of olive oil.

GEORGE SCHNEIDER.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,067,95lr

January 19. 1957.

GEORGE SCHNEIDER.

is I

It is hereby certified that'error appears in the printed specification oi the above numbered patent requiringcorrection as follows:

column, line 43, for "l to read from 1 to 6%; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this porrection therein that t conform to the" record of the case in the Patent Office.

Page 2', first :16 same may (Seal) Henry Van Arsdale v Acting Commissioner of Patents.

of such organic esters of cellulose are cellulose acetate, cellulose formate, cellulose propionate and cellulose butyrate, while examples of such cellulose ethers are ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose and benzyl cellulose.

Yarns, artificial straw or filaments when prepared or treated in accordance with this invention have great pliability due to the presence of the animal or vegetable oils or the free fatty acids, as shown by the fact that such yarns may be readily lmitted into fabric containing many stitches per unit length and artificial bristles, horsehair and straw may be knotted quite tightly and bent quite severely without breaking. Moreover when such yarns are exposed to the air for long periods of time, because of the presence of the para derivative of phenol, they retain their softness and pliability and can be readily knitted. In order to further illustrate my invention but without being limited thereto the following specific example is given.

Example A finish is prepared as follows:

- Parts by weight Olive oil; 99 Hydroquinone 1 The above mixture may also be made substituting the methyl ester of parahydroxy-benzoic acid and the propyl ester of parahydroxy benzoic acid. The above mixture is applied to a yarn consisting wholly of acetone soluble cellulose acetate filaments, by causing such yarn to pass over wicks, rollers or other furnishing devices for applying such mixture, in their transit from the dry spinning machine in which they are formed to a winding device. plied is 1 to 60% on the weight of the yarn.

The para derivatives of phenol greatly reduce the tendency of the olive oil to polymerize upon ageing and inhibits oxidation. Moreover while cellulose acetate yarns or fabrics treated with The amount of finish apolive ofl alone after a period of time tend to deluster more readily when treated with hot aqueous fluids the presence of the para derivative of phenol greatly reduces this tendency of delustering. Moreover, the above type of finish has the property of maintaining a finish, over the entire yarn or fabric, of the same consistency. Thus when the material is subjected to dyeing, washing or other hot aqueous liquid treatments there is no streakiness produced as in the case where the lubricant finish tends to change its chemical composition in one place more than in another.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description is given merely by way of illustration and that many variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is: p

1. Process of improving the properties of filaments or yarns of a cellulose derivative selected from the group of organic acid esters of cellulose and cellulose ethers which comprises applying thereto a finish containing a vegetable or animal oil such as olive oil, teaseed oil, peanut oil, castor oil, cocoanut oil or neatsfoot oil and hydroquinone in the proportion of 0.2 to 4% calculated on the weight of the oil employed.

2. Process of improving the properties 01' filaments or yarns of cellulose acetate which comprises applying thereto a finish containing olive oil and hydroquinone in the proportion of 1% calculated on the weight of olive oil.

3. Yams or filaments of a cellulose derivative selected from the group of organic acid esters of cellulose and cellulose ethers and containing a vegetable or animal oil such as olive oil, teaseed oil, peanut oil, castor oil, cocoanut oil or neat'sfoot oil and hydroquinone in the proportion of 0.2 to 4% calculated on the weight of the oil employed.

4. Yarns or filaments of cellulose acetate containing olive oil and hydroquinone in the proportion of 1% calculated on the weight of olive oil.

GEORGE SCHNEIDER.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,067,95lr

January 19. 1957.

GEORGE SCHNEIDER.

is I

It is hereby certified that'error appears in the printed specification oi the above numbered patent requiringcorrection as follows:

column, line 43, for "l to read from 1 to 6%; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this porrection therein that t conform to the" record of the case in the Patent Office.

Page 2', first :16 same may (Seal) Henry Van Arsdale v Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

